Envelopes with integral, detachable coupons contained therein



March 26, 1968 R. D. ALLISON 3,

ENVELOPES WITH INTEGRAL, DETACHABLE COUPONS CONTAINED THEREIN INVENTORROBERT D- ALL/SON A TTORNEV March 26, 1968 R. D. ALLISON 3,374,940

ENVELOPES WITH INTEGRAL, DETACHABLE COUPONS CONTAINED THEREIN Filed June15, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PIC-3.5 g FIG. 6

7; 8; FIG. 9 H640 80 l v l l 86 l I 70 Z l I I I l L United StatesPatent 3,374,940 ENVELOPES WITH INTEGRAL, DETACI-IABLE COUPONS CONTAINEDTHEREIN Robert D. Allison, 140 Garfield Road, West Hartford, Conn. 06091Filed June 15, 1966, Ser. No. 557,798 7 Claims. (Cl. 22970) ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE An envelope is made from a single blank of paper or othersimilar sheet material. The blank includes an extension which constituesa coupon or other item to be enclosed in the envelope. To form theenvelope the blank is folded and sealed in such a way that the extensionis completely enveloped and concealed. The extension is unsealed to anyother part of the blank and is detachably secured to the remainder ofthe blank by a line of perforations so that when the envelope is openedthe extension may be readily removed therefrom.

This invention relates generally to stuffed, sealed envelopes, and morespecifically, this invention relates to an envelope having as anintegral part thereof, a detachable extension of one of the flaps foldedinside the sealed envelope, forming the contents thereof.

The term stuffed envelope is commonly used in the art when referring toan envelope into which its contents have been inserted, eithermechanically or manually, after the envelope has been completely foldedand sealed except for the closing or sealing flap, which is left freeuntil after the inserting operation is performed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a stuffed, sealedenvelope from a single sheet orblank of paper or similar material, wherethe content-part of the envelope is connected to an inside flap by aweakened line, such asa line made up of a series of slits.

Such stuffed, sealed envelopes are particularly useful in thedistribution of game coupons, advertising material, etc., at grocerystores, service stations, and many other places which distribute suchmaterial as an incentive for a customer who has received one to returnto the distributor, and hopefully, bring additional business to thatdistributor. The part of the unit forming the envelopes contents mayconveniently be printed with a message, advertisement, game material,etc. According to this invention, the sheet or blank is folded such thatthe part forming the contents forms an integral part of the envelope andis securely sandwiched between the front and back panels of theenvelope. Also, according to my invention, the part forming the contentsmay easily be removed, when the envelope is opened, by gently pulling tocause separation along the weekend line.

The above and many other advantageous features of my invention will'hereinafter more fully appear, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIGURE 1 isa plan view of an envelope embodying one form of myinvention.

FIGURE 2-is a plan view of an envelope blank which, when folded, resultsin the envelope shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of an envelope embodying another form of myinvention.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of an envelope blank which, when folded, resultsin the envelope shown in FIG- URE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a blank which, when folded, results in anenvelope according to another form of my invention.

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the blank shown in FIG- URE 5 after it hasbeen partially folded.

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of an envelope folded from the blanksillustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6.

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of a blank which, when folded, results in anenvelope according to another form of my invention.

' FIGURE 9 is a plan view of the blank shown in FIG- URE 2 after it hasbeen partially folded.

FIGURE 10 is a plan view of an envelope folded from the blanksillustrated in FIGURES 8 and 9.

Referring to the drawings, FIGURES 1 and 2 illustrate respectively anenvelope and blank for making same, according to my invention. Theenvelope includes a front panel 12, a back panel 14 hingedly connectedalong fold line 16 to the front panel, side or intermediary flaps 18 and20 for connecting back panel 14 to front panel 12, and top flap 22. Sideflaps 18 and 20 are connected to the front panel 12 along fold lines 24and 26, and top flap 22 is connected to front panel 12 along fold line28. Side flap 20', side flap 1 8 and the extension thereof, are foldedfirst along their respective fold lines 26 and 24. When folded,extension 30 falls short of folded side flap 20. Back panel 14 is thenfolded along fold line 16, and adhesively connected to flaps 1'8 and 20by means of adhesive strips 31 and 32 respectively. Finally, flap 22 isfolded along line 28, and sealed by means of adhesive strip 33 to backpanel 14. v

The extension 30 is the message-carrying piece in the envelope, and may,if desired, be a coupon, advertisement, or any other desired piece ofprinted matter. Extension 30 is integral with the flap 18, but isattached thereto only by means of a weakened line 35, which mayconveniently be a line of slits 36 or the like, resulting in onlynominal connection between flap 18 and extension 30. Thus, when theenvelope is opened, for instance by pulling flap 22 up, the extension 30forming the contents can easily be removed by gently pulling theextension and breaking the connected points along weakened line 35.

The embodiment of my invention shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 is similar tothe embodiment shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 except that the'position of backpanel 14, and the flap 18 and the extension 30 are interchanged. Thus,the back panel 14 is connected to the front panel along a side foldline24, or if desired, along side fold line 26 (not shown). Flap 18 isconnected to front panel 12 along fold line 16, and the extension 30thereof extends upward from the bottom of the envelope, instead of fromthe side as in FIGURES 1 and 2. Flap 20, and flap 18 along with itsextension 30, are folded first, then back panel 14 is folded over andadhesively connected to flaps 18 and 20 by means of the L-shapedadhesive pattern 36. Flap 22 is then folded to overlie the edge of backpanel 14 and is adhesively connected thereto by means of the strip ofadhesive 33. When the envelope is opened, the extension 30 is removed bybreaking the connection along weakened line 35, as describedherein'befor'e in the description of FIGURES 1 and 2. In this case,also, a gentle pull is all that is required to separate themessage-carrying extension from the flap 18.

Although the construction illustrated in FIGURES 5- 10 inclusivedeviates considerably from that shown in FIGURES l-4 inclusive, the sameinventive principle is involved. In the embodiment shown in FIGURES 5-7inelusive, central panel 40 is flanked on one side by panel 42 which isdefined from central panel 40 by fold line 44. Flap 46 extends from theopposite side of panel 40, and is connected thereto along fold line 48.Extension 50 of flap 46 is connected thereto along weakened line 52.Extension 50, the message-carrying piece, is attached to fiap 46 alongline 52 which contains a series of slits 54 or the like, resulting inonly nominal connection between extension 50 and flap 46. To form theenvelope, flap 46 along with its extension 50 is first folded along line48 to lie 3 fiat over the panel 40, As shown in FIGURE 6, the extension50 is shorter than central panel 41) and falls short, by an appreciableamount, of the fold line 44. Panel 42, having a U-shaped strip 55 ofadhesive around its edges, is next folded along line 44 and the adhesivecoated edges connected to flap 46, and to portions of central panel 40exposed by the recessed side edges 56 and 58 of the extension 50. Thus,the extension 50 is sandwiched freely between panels 40 and 42. Panels40 and 42 are provided with two parallel weakened lines 60 and 62 whichare substantially equidistant from fold line 44 and consequently matchwhen panel 42 is folded. By tearing the strip 64 along the perforatedlines 60 and 62, the edge of the envelope is opened so that theextension 50 may be reached and pulled out.

FIGURES 8, 9, and 10 illustrate an embodiment of my invention slightlydifferent from that shown in FIGURES 5, 6, and 7. Central panel 70 isflanked on one side by panel 72, connected thereto along fold line 74.Flap 76 is connected to central panel 70 at fold line 78, extendingsubstantially parallel to fold line 74, along the opposite side of panel70. Parallel weakened lines 80 and 82 are provided on opposite sides offold line 78, approximately equidistant therefrom, so that when flap 76is folded along line 78, the weakened lines 80 and 82 will match. As inFIGURES 5, 6, and 7, flap 76 is recessed at 84 and 86. After foldingflap 76, panel 72, having strips of adhesive 88, 90, and 92, is foldedinto position over flap 76. Panel 72 is connected, by means of theadhesive strips 88 and 90,. to portions of central panel 70 exposed bythe recesses 84 and 86 in flap 76. Strip of adhesive 92 is connected toflap 76 between the edge 78 and the weakened line 82, and the weakenedline 93 of panel 72 is positioned so as to substantially match theweakened lines 80 and 82. When the edge 94 is separated from theenvelope by tearing along the weakened lines, the message-carrying piece76 also is freed, and can be readily removed.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials,steps and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described andillustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be madeby those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of theinvention as expressed in the appended claims. For example, extension 30in FIGURES 1-4 inclusive, extension 50 in FIGURES -7 inclusive, andextension 76 in FIGURES 8-10 inclusive may be divided, by additionalweakened lines (not shown) into a plurality of units. Also, the backpanel 14 in FIGURES 3 and 4 may be made up of two flaps which overlapnear, the center of the'envelope, as is sometimes the practice in theenvelope art.

I claim: I

1. An envelope and an integral coupon concealed therein made from asingle blank of sheet material and comprising: a rectangular frontpanel, a flap connected to said front panel along a first fold linedefining one edge of said front panel and folded along said fold lineinto overlying relationship therewith, an extension forming a couponsuch as aforesaid attached to said flap along a weakened line parallelto and spaced from said fold line, said extension being unfolded aboutsaid weakened line so as to be disposed in the same plane as said flapand said extension and said flap having combined dimensions no greaterthan those of said front panel so as to be located entirely within theedges of said front panel, a rear panel connected to said front panelalong a second fold line defining another edge of said front panel andfolded along said second fold line into overlying relationship with saidflap and said extension so that said extension is sandwiched betweensaid front and rear panels, means sealing said rear panel to said flapadjacent said first fold line to join said front and rear panels alongsaid one edge of said front panel, and means for joining said front andrear panels along the third and fourth edges of said front panel to forma rectangular envelope closed along all four of its edges and containingsaid extension.

2. An envelope and an integral concealed coupon as defined in claim 1further characterized by said means for joining said front and rearpanels along the third and fourth edges of said front panel comprisingsecond and third flaps connected to said front panel along third andfourth fold lines respectively, and means sealing said third and fourthflaps to said rear panel.

3. An envelope and an integral concealed coupon as defined in claim 1further characterized by said flap and said extension having edgesspaced a substantial distance inwardly of said third and fourth edges ofsaid front panel, said rear panel having edges approximately alignedwith said third and fourth edges of said front panel, and said means forjoining said front and rear panels along said third and fourth edges ofsaid front panel comprising means sealing said front panel directly tosaid rear panel adjacent said third and fourth edges.

4. An envelope and an integral concealed coupon as defined in claim 1further characterized by said first and second fold lines beingperpendicular to one another.

5. An envelope and an integral concealed coupon as defined in claim 1further characterized by said first and second fold lines being parallelto one another.

6. An envelope and an integral concealed coupon as defined in claim 1further characterized by said front and rear panels having weakenedlines extending thereacross in registry with said weakened line joiningsaid flap and said extension so that by tearing along said weakenedlines said envelope is opened and said coupon simultaneously detachedfrom said flap.

7. An envelope and an integral concealed coupon as defined in claim 1further characterized by said extension having one edge spaced from aselected one of said second, third and fourth edges of said front panelso as to leave a space between said coupon and said selected one edge,and said front and rear panels having registered weakened linesextending thereacross in said space between the said coupon and saidselected one edge so that'said envelope may be opened by tearing alongsaid latter weakened lines without damiging said extension.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 380,616 4/1888 Bobrick. 1,032,6487/1912 Berwick. 1,139,003 5/1915 Westberg 229 1,171,703 2/1916 Cather229-70 2,436,105 2/ 1948 Fisler. 2,931,559 4/ 1960 Hilliard 229733,314,592 4/ 1967 Streich 22974 3,259,299 7/ 1966 Spang 22932 FOREIGNPATENTS 419,327 11/1934 Great Britain.

DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, Primary Examiner.

